Kathmandu, March 8: Mahendra Police team won the first Women Football Committee-Mangala Devi Soccer League Championship outplaying Kailali’s Youth Sports Club 2-0 in the final today.
In a see-saw battle, the police girls cashed in some of opportunities that came in their way and scored one goal each in the both halves to beat the spirited Kailali team to lift the champion’s trophy and to win fifty thousand rupees in cash-prize while the runners-up grabbed 25,000 rupees. The Manakamana Cable Car Company sponsored the cash prizes.
From the onset of the game, both teams pressed hard for a lead but both teams failed in their motives as each other’s defenders came in the way their forwards.
Kailali’s striker Chandra Bhandari being stopped by MPC’s defender Manju Shrestha (No. 10)in the final match, Wednesday.
It was Kailali team which held a slight domination at the beginning of the match but lack of experience in finishing and shooting power coupled with MPC’s stubborn defense-line manned by Manju Crests, Ina Crests Ahs Lama and Parfait Upadhyay and good performance of custodian Leela Thapa let the Kailali girls down. Keeper Thapa foiled many shots taken by Kailali’s forwards Chandra Bhandari, Sita Thapa and Madhu Thapa.
Meanwhile the physically superior MPC girls seized some of the chances that flourished for them. In a move well marshaled by midfielders, captain Kiran Bajracharya, Inkar Oli, Manu Subba and Binita Thapa, MPC girls drew Kailali keeper Bimala Joshi away from the goal-line. Joshi was later substituted by Kalawoti Bista.
As the MPC girls stepped up their attacks, Kailali defense showed a chink and in the 31st minute, Shaukar Rai after finding the goal-mouth open tapped home the first goal for her team.
After going down in the first half, Kailali girls tried to launch their attacks in the very beginning but all their attempts were foiled by MPC defense. Like the first half, both teams made some telling raids in each other’s citadels. MPC made many close calls during this session but were foiled by Kailali’s defenders led by Captain Mamata C.K.
As the game entered into injury time, Kailali girls looked a bit tired and MPC’s Bajracharya took advantage from this. She tried a long range took a 20-yard shot which bewildered keeper Bista as the ball touched the left-bar net. However as the game progressed players from both teams became rough. Kailali’s Jeet Maya, Kamala Joshi and Kalpana Shrestha were booked while MPC’s Manu Subba, Inkar Oli and Shaukar Rai were shown yellow cards by the referee.
After the final match, Minister for Foreign affairs and Minister for Finance Ram Sharan Mahat distributed prizes, medals, certificates to the winners, runners up and referees and other officials.
After the prize ceremony, WFC President Geeta Rana said that WFC would organize women’s football in days to come to uplift the status of the women football in the country. She expressed her gratitude to Nepali Congress law maker P. L. Singh and other sponsors of the championship.